The data on selected monthly owner costs were obtained from answers to long-form questionnaire Items 45a-d, 47b, 48b, 49, 50, 52, and 53b, which were asked on a sample basis at owner-occupied housing units. Selected monthly owner costs are the sum of payments for mortgages, deeds of trust, contracts to purchase, or similar debts on the property (including payments for the first mortgage, second mortgage, home equity loans, and other junior mortgages); real estate taxes; fire, hazard, and flood insurance on the property; utilities (electricity, gas, and water and sewer); and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). It also includes, where appropriate, the monthly condominium fees or mobile home costs (installment loan payments, personal property taxes, site rent, registration fees, and license fees). Selected monthly owner costs were tabulated separately for all owner-occupied units, specified owner-occupied units, and owner-occupied mobile homes and, usually, are shown separately for units "with a mortgage" and for units "not mortgaged."

Specified owner-occupied units include only 1-family houses on less than 10 acres without a business or medical office on the property. The data for "specified units" exclude mobile homes, houses with a business or medical office, houses on 10 or more acres, and housing units in multiunit buildings.

Aggregate selected monthly owner costs are calculated by adding together all the selected monthly owner costs for occupied housing units in an area. Aggregate selected monthly owner costs are subject to rounding, which means that all cells in a matrix are rounded to the nearest hundred dollars. (For more information, see "Aggregate" under "Derived Measures".)

The components of selected monthly owner costs were collected for the first time in 1980. In 1990, the questions related to selected monthly owner costs were asked at 1-family, owner-occupied houses; mobile homes; and condominiums. In Census 2000, the questions related to selected monthly owner costs were asked at all owner-occupied housing units. Question 53a, "Do you have an installment loan or contract on this mobile home?" was added in Census 2000 to determine the existence of installment loans or contracts on mobile home units.

The data on mortgage status were obtained from answers to long-form questionnaire Items 47a and 48a, which were asked on a sample basis at owner-occupied housing units. "Mortgage" refers to all forms of debt where the property is pledged as security for repayment of the debt, including deeds of trust; trust deeds; contracts to purchase; land contracts; junior mortgages; and home equity loans.

A mortgage is considered a first mortgage if it has prior claim over any other mortgage or if it is the only mortgage on the property. All other mortgages, (second, third, etc.) are considered junior mortgages. A home equity loan is generally a junior mortgage. If no first mortgage is reported, but a junior mortgage or home equity loan is reported, then the loan is considered a first mortgage.

In most census data products, the tabulations for "Selected Monthly Owner Costs" and "Selected Monthly Owner Costs as a Percentage of Household Income in 1999" usually are shown separately for units "with a mortgage" and for units "not mortgaged." The category "not mortgaged" is comprised of housing units owned free and clear of debt.

A question on mortgage status was included in the 1940 and 1950 censuses, but not in the 1960 and 1970 censuses. The item was reinstated in 1980 along with a separate question dealing with the existence of second or junior mortgages. In 1990, the mortgage status questions were asked of 1-family, owner-occupied housing units; mobile homes; and condominiums. In 1990, the answer categories for the second and junior mortgage question did not distinguish between a second mortgage and a home equity loan.

In Census 2000, the questions were asked at all owner-occupied housing units. In addition, the answer categories distinguished between a second mortgage and a home equity loan.

This includes the income of the householder and all other individuals 15 years old and over in the household, whether they are related to the householder or not. Because many households consist of only one person, average household income is usually less than average family income. Although the household income statistics cover calendar year 1999, the characteristics of individuals and the composition of households refer to the time of enumeration (April 1, 2000). Thus, the income of the household does not include amounts received by individuals who were members of the household during all or part of calendar year 1999 if these individuals no longer resided in the household at the time of enumeration. Similarly, income amounts reported by individuals who did not reside in the household during 1999 but who were members of the household at the time of enumeration are included. However, the composition of most households was the same during 1999 as at the time of enumeration.

A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as "Black, African Am., or Negro," or provide written entries such as African American, Afro-American, Kenyan, Nigerian, or Haitian.